U.S. patent application number 15/692057 was filed with the patent office on 2018-12-27 for rib fixation device.
The applicant listed for this patent is Ledford Lee Powell. Invention is credited to Ledford Lee Powell.
Application Number | 20180368896 15/692057 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 64691676 |
Filed Date | 2018-12-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180368896 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Powell; Ledford Lee |
December 27, 2018 |
RIB FIXATION DEVICE
Abstract
A device for reducing and achieving fixation of a rib fracture
may include a rib clip designed to partially encircle a rib bone
without obstructing the intercostals nerve, wherein the rib clip is
partially U-shaped. The rib clip may be built into a self-fixating
plate. Alternatively, the rib clip may removably attach to an
existing rib plate and, thus, be a standalone rib clip. The
standalone rib clip may include a clip orifice extending
therethrough to provide for attachment to the existing rib
plate.
Inventors: |
Powell; Ledford Lee;
(Newport Beach, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Powell; Ledford Lee |
Newport Beach |
CA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
64691676 |
Appl. No.: |
15/692057 |
Filed: |
August 31, 2017 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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62523670 |
Jun 22, 2017 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61B 17/8085 20130101;
A61B 17/8076 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A61B 17/80 20060101
A61B017/80 |
Claims
1. A device for reducing and achieving fixation of a rib fracture,
the device comprising: a rib clip designed to partially encircle a
rib bone without obstructing the intercostals nerve, wherein the
rib clip is partially U-shaped.
2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a rib plate attached
to the rib clip.
3. The device of claim 2, wherein: the rib clip and the rib plate
comprise a single construction with the rib clip extending from an
outer edge of the rib plate; and the rib plate comprises a
plurality of screw orifices extending therethrough.
4. The device of claim 2, wherein: the rib clip is a standalone rib
clip having a clip orifice in an end thereof; the rib plate
comprises a plurality of screw orifices extending therethrough; and
a clip screw extends through the clip orifice and into one of the
plurality of screw orifices, attaching the rib clip to the rib
plate.
5. The device of claim 2, wherein the rib plate is elongate in
shape and has a plurality of screw orifices extending
therethrough.
6. The device of claim 1, wherein the rib clip comprises a titanium
metal.
7. The device of claim 1, wherein the rib clip is about 1 mm thick
and about 5 mm wide.
Description
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority to provisional patent
application U.S. Ser. No. 62/523,670 filed on Jun. 22, 2017, the
entire contents of which is herein incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] The embodiments herein relate generally to medical devices,
and more particularly, to a rib plate that allows for
self-reduction and fixation along with, in some cases, a separate
be attachable rib clip that can be used in conjunction with an
implantable rib plate.
[0003] Over 2.1 million people are admitted each year to hospitals
after a fall or accident. Rib fractures are the most common injury
after a fall. Rib fractures can cause pain, days off from work,
long hospital stays, and even death. Early fixation of rib
fractures improves patient outcomes, meaning that patients spend
less time on the ventilator, less time in the ICU, less time in the
hospital, have fewer pain medication requirements, and return to
work and activities of daily living sooner. However, management of
rib fractures has been challenging.
[0004] In particular, the existing devices for managing and
treating rib fractures have a variety of problems. First, existing
treatments for rib fractures has required the use of a lot of
instrumentation to reduce the fracture and apply a fixation plate.
This requires large incisions for reduction and fixation. The
larger the incision, the more destroyed tissue, more pain for the
patient, and longer recovery times after surgery or trauma.
Additionally, some existing devices violate the intercostals nerve
by placing a clamp below the rib and cause excessive disruption of
the intercostals muscles because of wide fixation devices or
multiple prongs above and below the rubs. Moreover, the existing
devices can lead to increased discomfort to the patient, which may
require hardware to be removed at a second operation.
[0005] Some conventional systems have poor outcomes, because they
do not have reliable and consistent results in the hands of various
surgeons. Additionally, some systems lead to poor fixation, because
they do not use a plate and screw technology, which is most
reliable. The existing systems that do not use the plate and screw
technology are more challenging to implant in the patient, which
makes it less desirable to use by the surgeon.
[0006] Therefore, what is needed is a device that allows surgeons
to reduce and achieve fixation of rib fractures and flails chests
with a smaller and less invasive surgery, which is also easy and
reproducible.
SUMMARY
[0007] Some embodiments of the present disclosure include a device
for reducing and achieving fixation of a rib fracture. The device
may include a rib clip designed to partially encircle a rib bone
without obstructing the intercostals nerve, wherein the rib clip is
partially U-shaped. The rib clip may be built into a self-fixating
plate. Alternatively, the rib clip may removably attach to an
existing rib plate and, thus, be a standalone rib clip. The
standalone rib clip may include a clip orifice extending
therethrough to provide for attachment to the existing rib
plate.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0008] The detailed description of some embodiments of the
invention is made below with reference to the accompanying figures,
wherein like numerals represent corresponding parts of the
figures.
[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the
present disclosure, shown in use.
[0010] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the
present disclosure.
[0011] FIG. 3 is a section view of one embodiment of the present
disclosure, taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 1.
[0012] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the
present disclosure.
[0013] FIG. 5 is an exploded view of one embodiment of the present
disclosure.
[0014] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the
present disclosure.
[0015] FIG. 7 is a section view of one embodiment of the present
disclosure, taken along ling 7-7 in FIG. 6.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN EMBODIMENTS
[0016] In the following detailed description of the invention,
numerous details, examples, and embodiments of the invention are
described. However, it will be clear and apparent to one skilled in
the art that the invention is not limited to the embodiments set
forth and that the invention can be adapted for any of several
applications.
[0017] The device of the present disclosure may be used to reduce
and achieve fixation of a bone fracture, such as a rib fracture,
and may comprise the following elements. This list of possible
constituent elements is intended to be exemplary only, and it is
not intended that this list be used to limit the device of the
present application to just these elements. Persons having ordinary
skill in the art relevant to the present disclosure may understand
there to be equivalent elements that may be substituted within the
present disclosure without changing the essential function or
operation of the device. [0018] a. Rib Clip [0019] b. Rib Plate
[0020] c. Screws
[0021] The various elements of the device of the present disclosure
may be related in the following exemplary fashion. It is not
intended to limit the scope or nature of the relationships between
the various elements and the following examples are presented as
illustrative examples only.
[0022] By way of example, and referring to FIGS. 1-7, some
embodiments of the present disclosure include a device for reducing
and achieving fixation of a rib fracture, the device comprising a
rib clip designed to partially encircle a rib bone 20 without
obstructing the intercostals nerve 24, wherein the rib clip may be
partially U-shaped. The use of the rib clip may eliminate the need
to use a reduction clamp during the surgical procedure.
[0023] In some embodiments, such as those shown in FIGS. 1-3, the
rib clip 14 may be integrated into a self-fixating plate 10, such
that the self-fixating plate 10 comprises an elongate perforated
band 12 with a plurality of screw orifices 16, such as threaded
screw orifices, extending therethrough, and at least one rib clip
14 extending outward from an edge of the perforated band 12,
wherein the perforated band 12 is positioned adjacent and parallel
to the rib bone 20 over a fracture line 22, a screw 18 is screwed
into the rib bone 20 through each screw orifice 16, and the at
least one rib clip 12 is positioned to partially encircle the rib
bone 20 without obstructing the intercostals nerve 24. Thus, the
device of the present disclosure may comprise a one-piece rigid
construct of a perforated band 12 with at least one, such as two
rib clips 12, incorporated into the band 12 as a single unit.
[0024] Alternatively, and as shown in FIGS. 4-7, some embodiments
of the device include a standalone rib clip 26 designed to engage
with an existing rib plate 32. For example, the standalone rib clip
26 may comprise a partially rounded U-shape with a clip screw
orifice 28, such as a threaded clip screw orifice, at an end
thereof, and the existing rib plate 32 may comprise a plurality of
plate orifices 34, wherein the standalone rib clip 26 may be
positioned such that the clip screw orifice 28 aligns with one of
the plurality of plate orifices 34 and a clip screw 30 is inserted
through the clip screw orifice 28 and the plate orifice 34,
removably attaching the standalone rib clip 26 to existing rib
plate 32. Thus, the standalone rib clip 26 may be attached to the
existing rib plate 32 at any location along a length of the
existing rib plate 32. The combination standalone rib clip 26 and
attached existing rib plate 32 may then be positioned on a rib bone
20 such that the existing rib plate 32 crosses the fracture line 22
and the standalone rib clip 26 partially encircles the rib bone 20
without obstructing the intercostals nerve 24.
[0025] Additionally, the standalone rib clip 26 may be used in
conjunction with the self-fixating plate 10, such that the rib bone
20 may be reduced and fixated with a perforated band 12 with built
in rib clips 14 along with additional standalone rib clips 28
attached to the perforated band 12 via a clip screw 30.
[0026] The rib clip may provide for stabilization of the plate,
while the plate screws 18 are used to fix the plate to the rib bone
20, resulting in a more reliable fixation with a less invasive
approach using smaller incisions as compared to existing devices
and treatment methods.
[0027] The device of the present disclosure may be made of any
suitable material and, in some embodiments, comprises titanium
metal. In a particular embodiment, the self-fixating plate 10 may
be about 2 mm thick and about 8 cm long. The self-fixating plate 10
may have a gentle curve to mimic the contour of a rib bone 20, but
may also be contoured using a device for bending the plate. The
self-fixation plate 10 may have at least two rib clips 14 that are
partially U-shaped extending from the top edge of the plate,
wherein the rib clips 14 may be malleable and approximately 1 mm
thick and 5 mm wide. The standalone rib clip 26 may be malleable
and about 1 mm thick and 5 mm wide. The standalone rib clip 26 may
widen at its base to approximately 1 cm wide and may have a clip
orifice 28, such as a threaded clip orifice, extending
therethrough, wherein the clip orifice 28 is used to screw the
standalone rib clip 26 to a plate. The clip screw 30 may be about 3
mm long, such that it is long enough to attach the standalone rib
clip 26 to the plate but not to the rib bone 20. Alternatively, a
longer screw may be used to attach the system to the bone.
Individual devices may be sterilized and packaged in a sterile
fashion.
[0028] To use the device of the present disclosure, a surgeon may
position the rib clips over the top of the rib bone with at least
one clip on each side of the fracture line. This will hold the two
ends of the broken bone in place. The rib clips also partially
grasp the upper portion of the rib bone 20 to keep it stable for
the next step. Thus, the rib clips take away the need for a
reduction clamp, which is used in many operations to keep the bone
edges from moving during fixation. Once the plate is applied to the
broken rib bone, the plate is screwed into the broken rib bone
using screws. If a rib clip is used separately form a rib plate,
the surgeon may choose where the standalone rib clip will be placed
on the rib plate. The rib clip is then screwed into the rib plate,
and the rib plate with the newly attached rib clip is applied to
the broken rib as described above.
[0029] While the device of the present disclosure is described as
being used to reduce and achieve fixation of a rib bone, it may
also be used to repair any broken bone in the body, wherein the
shape and size of the rib clip and/or the plate may need to vary
slightly to accommodate other bones.
[0030] Persons of ordinary skill in the art may appreciate that
numerous design configurations may be possible to enjoy the
functional benefits of the inventive systems. Thus, given the wide
variety of configurations and arrangements of embodiments of the
present invention the scope of the invention is reflected by the
breadth of the claims below rather than narrowed by the embodiments
described above.
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